Researching your Native Roots
Jason R. Terrell ~ Saturday, August 10 ~ 10:30 am ~ TnGenSoc Lecture Room*
Many families have stories of Native American ancestors scattered throughout their family tree. But how does one go about proving those ancestors were really Native American and what can we learn about their lives and times?
This is the subject of the upcoming presentation by Jason R. Terrell at the Tennessee Genealogical Society meeting on Saturday, August 10 at 10:30 a.m.
A journalist, graphic artist and teacher, Terrell is also an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and Vice Chairman of the Editorial Board for the tribe’s newspaper, the Cherokee Phoenix. He has been researching his Cherokee ancestors and studying Cherokee history and culture for over 20 years.
“Native Americans are some of the best documented groups in the United States,” Terrell says. “When doing Native American research, it’s important to answer some fundamental questions about your Native ancestor. Doing so can save you an enormous amount of time by narrowing down the records that might pertain to your family.”
"Because of the differences in tribal cultures and family and clan structures across the country, knowing more about the specific tribe you are researching can also give you clues as to what records are available," he advises.
Terrell’s presentation will cover the basic questions you need to answer, an overview of the most valuable sources as well as the online databases available for research on various tribes, focusing most directly on tribes that originally resided in the southeast.
* Unless otherwise noted, all classes and programs are: 1) free and open to the public, and 2) held in the Tennessee Genealogical Society lecture room in the Germantown Regional History and Genealogy Center, 7779 Poplar Pike, Germantown, TN 38138. For details call 901-413-7995 or email Tina Sansone: tinahsansone@gmail.com
Jason R. Terrell ~ Saturday, August 10 ~ 10:30 am ~ TnGenSoc Lecture Room*
Many families have stories of Native American ancestors scattered throughout their family tree. But how does one go about proving those ancestors were really Native American and what can we learn about their lives and times?
This is the subject of the upcoming presentation by Jason R. Terrell at the Tennessee Genealogical Society meeting on Saturday, August 10 at 10:30 a.m.
A journalist, graphic artist and teacher, Terrell is also an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and Vice Chairman of the Editorial Board for the tribe’s newspaper, the Cherokee Phoenix. He has been researching his Cherokee ancestors and studying Cherokee history and culture for over 20 years.
“Native Americans are some of the best documented groups in the United States,” Terrell says. “When doing Native American research, it’s important to answer some fundamental questions about your Native ancestor. Doing so can save you an enormous amount of time by narrowing down the records that might pertain to your family.”
"Because of the differences in tribal cultures and family and clan structures across the country, knowing more about the specific tribe you are researching can also give you clues as to what records are available," he advises.
Terrell’s presentation will cover the basic questions you need to answer, an overview of the most valuable sources as well as the online databases available for research on various tribes, focusing most directly on tribes that originally resided in the southeast.
* Unless otherwise noted, all classes and programs are: 1) free and open to the public, and 2) held in the Tennessee Genealogical Society lecture room in the Germantown Regional History and Genealogy Center, 7779 Poplar Pike, Germantown, TN 38138. For details call 901-413-7995 or email Tina Sansone: tinahsansone@gmail.com
